From Engineer To Entrepreneur: How One Year At IMD Redefined A Student’s Future

When David Hobbs left the United States for Switzerland, he wasn’t chasing a start-up dream. He was looking for a reset. For five years, he had worked as an IT engineer at BlackRock, managing cloud infrastructure and developing AI chatbots.  But he wanted to step back, see the bigger picture, and figure out where he could grow next. What he didn’t expect was that his year at IMD would open the door to entrepreneurship and completely change how he saw himself as a leader. 

“I’d spent five years in tech and always had the same kind of role,” he said. “I was curious about what else was out there. My technical side was strong, but I wanted to round myself out, to understand finance, leadership, and the human side of business.”

That curiosity brought him to IMD in Lausanne for the MBA program. A Yale-trained electrical engineer from Delaware, Hobbs had always wanted to experience Europe and decided it was the right time to do something bold. “I started looking into European MBA programs and was drawn to the one-year format,” he said. “It meant I could step away from work, focus fully, and then get back out there quickly with new skills and perspective.”

As he dug deeper, one name kept appearing. “IMD kept coming up at the top of the rankings, and what stood out to me wasn’t just the academic reputation, but how much emphasis they placed on leadership. I wanted a program that would round me out as a professional but also give me a deeper understanding myself as a leader and how I show up.”

 “The strong leadership development element of IMD really stood out. Reading about it online is one thing but living it is something else entirely.”

Learning To Lead Differently

IMD’s leadership stream turned out to be one of the most defining parts of his year. “It was transformational, and I know that word gets overused, but it truly was,” he said.

In the program’s opening Leadership Lab, Hobbs and his classmates faced team challenges while being filmed. Afterwards, they watched themselves back and received peer and coach feedback. “I’ve always been the type who jumps in with ideas and energy,” he said. “But watching the footage, I realised I’d taken over too much and didn’t give others enough room to share their ideas.”

That moment stayed with him. “Later in other exercises, I could feel that same instinct come up, to take control, but this time I could catch it. I started asking more questions, inviting others in. The results were better every time.”

He laughs, remembering how the class went in thinking it would be a simple exercise. “People walked out of that first lab in tears. Not because it was harsh, but because it was honest. You learn about yourself in a way that’s hard to put into words.”

By the end of the year, those lessons had become second nature. “IMD teaches you to lead with awareness. You can’t unsee what you’ve learned about yourself.”

Finding A New Kind Of Community

Moving from Delaware to Switzerland in December 2023 was, as Hobbs put it, “an adjustment.” He had left his home, family, and the comfort of a familiar professional world. But what he found at IMD made the leap worthwhile.

“The IMD community was amazing,” he said. “You instantly have this built-in network of people going through the same intense experience. You get to know everyone, not just as classmates but as people.”

That sense of belonging, he explained, comes from the IMD MBA’s deliberately small size and its deeply personal approach to learning. With less than 100 students, the MBA is one of the most intimate among the world’s top business schools. You can walk into a professor’s office and talk about your goals over lunch. The faculty know you by name. You get your own executive coach, your own career coach, and constant feedback from people who genuinely care. It’s the kind of environment where you’re treated like a person, not part of a system.

For Hobbs, that community extended well beyond the classroom. “I was part of the IMD Band, singing and playing keyboard, and it became a huge part of my year,” he said. “We placed second at Battle of the Bands at the MBAT Tournament at HEC, hosted live-band karaoke nights, and even played at the graduation gala. Music was a way for us to unwind together, and it really brought people closer.”

His connections with his fellow students quickly became his safety net. “It’s an all-in year, long days, high expectations, lots of reflection. But everyone has your back. Even now, I live in Zurich and have at least ten classmates nearby. We just had a mini reunion in Porto with about forty of us. It’s a special kind of bond.”

And then there were the small, very Swiss moments of adjustment. “Let’s just say I wasn’t prepared for the bin bags,” he laughed. “They’re taxed, and you’ve got to recycle everything properly. It’s great, but definitely different.”

IMD also helped him integrate more deeply into Swiss life. “I took French classes through IMD, which really helped. It’s a nice feeling when you can start talking to people in their language and feel a bit more local.”

The Classroom That Pushed Boundaries

The academic side of the MBA stretched him too. IMD’s approach to learning is practical, fast-paced, and grounded in real business impact. Students work on projects with international organizations and real companies, learning by doing.

“One of the coolest projects I worked on was with a start-up called INSTEP. They were leveraging their proprietary algorithm to track and analyze human movement data, and our team explored how to turn those insights into real business applications. It was fascinating to work directly with the founders and apply what we were learning to an emerging technology,” he said.

For his International Consulting Project, Hobbs and his team partnered with the UNHCR. “We looked at how their internal corporate IT systems could better support distributed teams and collaboration across countries. We got to talk with different stakeholders, compare how organizations like Meta approach it, and then deliver recommendations that we could help implement. It was the perfect example of how IMD connects learning with real impact.”

From Data Engineer To Entrepreneur

During the MBA, Hobbs’ curiosity about technology deepened into something more entrepreneurial. In Professor Amit Joshi’s digital analytics course, his class used AI to predict Airbnb prices from thousands of data points. “You can’t just copy-paste into ChatGPT and expect magic,” he explained. “But if you prompt it properly and account for things like seasonality, you can get up to 95 percent accuracy. That was my lightbulb moment, understanding how AI could be used in practical and intelligent ways. Perhaps more importantly, I began to see how, when leveraged thoughtfully, it has the power to enhance learning outcomes in the classroom.”

After graduation, as he began applying for jobs in Switzerland, another idea started taking root. His sister, a middle school science teacher, had been sharing with him how unprepared schools were for AI. “They weren’t being trained on it, and there was a lot of fear around it,” he said. “That’s when I thought, what if I could help educators understand and use AI responsibly?”

So in March 2025, Hobbs launched Voyager: AI Learning Solutions, a company designed to empower teachers and school leaders with the skills and confidence to integrate AI in the classroom. Through workshops and a growing online platform, Voyager helps educators explore AI tools like ChatGPT for lesson planning, research, and creativity.

“Education is at a crossroads with AI,” he said. “You can either ignore it or learn to use it well. We’re helping teachers do the latter.”

Voyager’s courses are built around hands-on practice and responsible use, showing educators how AI can save time and enhance learning. “A lot of schools are still behind and there’s so much opportunity to capture. Once teachers see what’s possible, their creativity takes off.”

He smiled when reflecting on how his goals had evolved. “When I came to Europe, I imagined a steady corporate path, just in a new setting. Now I’m working harder than ever to build something of my own, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Lessons From Lausanne

For Hobbs, the IMD experience turned out to be as personal as it was professional. “Going into the program, I was focused on career outcomes, but what I got was something richer: a clearer sense of who I am and how I lead. I came out more confident, more self-aware, and ready to take risks.”

He credits IMD’s one-year format with helping him stay focused. “Every week you’re pushed to grow, reflect, and adapt.”

That growth also showed up in how he communicates. “Before the MBA, I wasn’t great at talking about who I am, what I’m doing, or why it matters,” he said. “During the program, that started to change. You learn to articulate your ideas, to share your story, and to do it naturally.”

By the end of the year, networking, once something that felt awkward, had become second nature. “Now I can walk into a room full of people, start conversations, and actually enjoy it.” That confidence has been huge for founding his start-up and connecting with potential partners. “Those communication and leadership skills are what stay with you.”

Today, as Hobbs builds Voyager from his base in Zurich, he still draws on what he learned at IMD. “You learn about yourself, and you learn how to bring people with you, how to ask the right questions, how to stay grounded when things move fast. That’s what real leadership is about.”

A European MBA With A Global Edge

For many Americans, studying in Europe can feel like a leap of faith. Hobbs says he doesn’t regret his decision. “You learn how to live and work across cultures, how to connect with people from every continent. That’s a skill that never stops paying off,” he said.

IMD’s global focus and location in the heart of Europe gave him access to perspectives he might not have found back home. “You’re constantly surrounded by people with different ways of thinking. It opens your mind to what’s possible.”

And perhaps most importantly, it gave him the courage to build something of his own. “I didn’t go to Switzerland planning to start a company,” he said. “But that’s the thing about IMD, it changes what you think you’re capable of. You come out ready to build, to lead, and to take on challenges that matter.”

As Hobbs put it, “At IMD, yes you study business, but you also live it. And that changes everything.”

His advice for Americans thinking about studying in Europe? “Do it. It’s intense, but it’s incredible. The nature in Switzerland, the culture, the people, and you’ll never feel alone. Just make sure you check your trash bags,” he added, laughing.

 “Come open. Be ready for the tough feedback and the big moments of growth. They stay with you long after you leave Lausanne.”

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